Sunday, March 30, 2014

Israeli company White Innovation is currently developing an entirely new and remarkably fast way to prepare food from the comfort of your kitchen, Israel’s Channel 10 reported on Saturday.

Its product, known as “Ginny”, is essentially a souped-up printer that is small enough to fit on any counter. To create a meal one places a capsule of raw ingredients into one side of the machine. Then, olive oil, milk or water is injected. It then marinates for about thirty seconds and voila: a delectable feast awaits.

The developers behind Ginny claim that printed food has, “tremendous potential as a way to eat cheaper and healthier.” In theory, products like Ginny could revolutionize the food market, Channel 10 said. However, the vast potential is currently only on paper as Ginny is still undergoing a final series of tweaks before making a public debut.

Recently, the device was put to the ultimate test when acclaimed Israeli chef Israel Aharoni was invited to sample the printed food. While Aharoni came away impressed, he does not think Ginny will replace homemade cooking anytime soon. Rather, he sees it as a valuable addition to culinary innovation.

Having nibbled on some of the food, the veteran cuisinier noted that all the foodstuffs he tasted, “Were not completely accurate [representations of the original] and had a uniform texture. However, each item had its own distinct flavor. I believe that [Ginny] is the beginning of a very interesting process and I’m curious to know where it will lead.”

Itzhak Mamistvalov takes first place in 100-meter heat, stopping clocks at 1:03.80 minutes. During competition, he claims two more gold medals.

Swimmer Itzhak Mamistvalov, an athlete at the Israel Sports Center for the Disabled and member of the Paralympics squad has set a new world record in the 50-meter freestyle at the Denmark Open swimming tournament for the disabled.

Mamistvalov, who competed in the S1 category, the class for swimmers with the most severe disabilities, and is trained by Noah Ram, clocked 1:03.80 minutes, an improvement of 13 hundredths of a second on the previous record.

During the competitions, in which some 200 swimmers from 15 countries took part, Mamistvalov added two more gold medals to his career medal count, when he won the 100-meter heat with a time of 2:21.57 minutes, and the 200-meter heat with a time of 5:18.7 minutes.

Click To View Video
A theater, performing arts hall and art museum surround "Orchestra Plaza" at the intersection of two of Tel Aviv's most happening thoroughfares.

Tel Aviv's Habima Square is not just a popular meeting point in the White City -- it's a gateway to a whole lot of culture.

That's because the square -- also known as Orchestra Plaza -- is surrounded by major institutions such as the Habima National Theatre, the Charles R. Bronfman Auditorium (home of the Israeli Philharmonic) and the Helena Rubinstein Pavilion for Contemporary Art.

The sunken garden and reflecting pool are favorite hangout spots for families, couples and kids. And because Habima Square is located at the intersection of Rothschild Boulevard and Dizengoff Street, visitors always have plenty of choices in eateries and entertainment, thanks to outdoor buskers.

In honour of World Water Day, we have put together a list of five hot Israeli tech companies that focus on water! Situated on the edge of the desert with limited access to fresh water, Israelis have leveraged cutting edge technologies to improve and ensure access to water while sharing these technologies around the world. In 2012, exports of water technologies totaled $2B, representing an increase of 170% over six years. In no particular order:

The company that invented drip irrigation innovation through smart drip and micro-irrigation solutions is now leading the way with greenhouse solutions to foster growth in arid and otherwise challenging climates. From potatoes in China to pomegranates in Israel, tea in Tanzania, and cotton in India, this firm is succeeding in growing a range of key crops in all corners of the world.

A world leader in water treatment, this company specializes in all aspects of water desalination, from development and engineering to the construction and operation of plants. Through the work of companies like IDE, the prospect of Israel becoming a country with a water surplus becomes a very real possibility!

This company is in the business of developing novel methods for storing, preserving, and moving water for use in various industries such as construction and mining and in emergencies and disaster relief.

TACount recently won the Massachusetts water industry competition, Water Export Technology (WET) Revolution. Global Water Intelligence ranked TACount in the top 20 most viable water technologies, and the Office of the Israel Chief Scientist selected it as one of Israel’s most promising start-up companies. Their proprietary technology allows for real-time microbial detection, massively improving delivery of data, with typical technologies taking days or even weeks!

Amiad has been on the water tech scene for more than 40 years, working to develop state-of-the-art filtration technologies. Their unique technology is environmentally sound, using no chemicals, polymers, minimal back flush water, and reduced energy. Some of their systems do not even require electricity.

Israel is home to many amazing beaches, and some pretty awesome water sports too!

On March 13th, we reported that the chances of a Rolling Stones concert in Israel this summer were growing. Today, Israeli producer Shuki Weiss confirmed that the Legendary British band finally has set a date for a concert in Tel Aviv for their 14 on Fire World Tour, on June 4!

Tickets for the concert are to go on sale on Sunday, March 30, at 9 am. The tickets cost NIS 695 ($200) for the cheapest spaces, NIS 1,790 ($515) for the “golden ring”, and NIS 2,850 ($820) for VIP seats.

“For the first time in my 35 years in the business I have no words to express the size of an event of this kind in Israel,” Weiss told reporters as he announced the concert.

Regarding the ticket prices, Weiss said that they were cheaper than the sums the band charged in other places around the world, and that the concert would boost tourism to Israel. “We are expecting thousands of tourists to come to the show,” he said.

He pointed out that Rolling Stones tickets for other venues that went on sale yesterday had already been sold out.

Ynet reported two weeks ago that Yarkon Park had been reserved on June 4 as the venue for the legendary British rock group’s performance, and that the date had been approved by the band’s representatives.

The previous date requested by the band members, in late May, created a problem for the Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan municipalities, as Justin Timberlake‘s concert had already been set for May 28 and, in favor of the area’s residents, major events cannot be held at the park on dates so close to one another.=

Other than Weiss, several leading producers, including Marcel Avraham and Gadi Oron, had been fighting for the privilege to bring the Stones to Israel. The lucky winner gets to produce the prestigious show for an estimated $5 million.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

The U.S. company is also tapping Ginger Software chairwoman Adi Soffer-Teeni to lead its team in Israel.

Facebook is opening a direct marketing office in Israel, augmenting the Israelis who work out of the company’s offices in Dublin, the U.S. social-networking giant said Monday.

Leading the efforts at Tel Aviv suburb Ramat Gan will be Adi Soffer-Teeni, who has been appointed head of Facebook Israel. Soffer-Teeni, currently chairwoman of Ginger Software, will be putting together her own team.

“Millions of people in this country use our service every day; they connect to one another and share what’s important to them,” Soffer-Teeni said on Facebook. “Businesses are discovering the value of being part of this … both major brand names and small and medium-sized businesses.”

Before Ginger Software, Soffer-Teeni was director of the business-to-consumer division at 888.com, an online casino and poker website. She was also chief executive of the Kidum Group, a private education company.

World Economic Forum poll puts Israel way ahead of its Muslim neighbors in terms of women’s basic rights and freedoms.

Israel is the best country in the Middle East for women’s rights and freedoms, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap survey concluded this week.

The survey, which has been conducted since 2006, ranks 110 countries in terms of gender equality and inequality, using a variety of factors including demographic data, socioeconomic figures, and a close look at women in the legal system.

In 2013, Israel ranked #53 for women’s rights worldwide – up two places since 2012 – but top for the Middle East overall. Middle Eastern and Muslim countries ranked lower on the list, possibly due to their lower human rights records overall.

Thomson-Reuters noted recently that several Middle Eastern countries – Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and others – have a poor track record for violence against women, reproductive rights, as well as the treatment and role of women. Egypt bottomed out the list.

The report noted that the Comoros Islands have the best track record for treatment of women in the Arab world; while the tiny nation did not appear on the WEF list, Oman – which ranked second for the Arab world in the Reuters poll – ranked 122nd in this week’s survey. Kuwait, which ranked third on the Reuters list, stands at just 118.

The survey’s results were published in honor of International Women’s Day, which was on March 8, and surfaces within days of reports that the Saudi Arabian royal family has been holding princessescaptive against their will for several years.

Israel received the Reducing the Gender Gap prize in 2013 from the European Parliament for its efforts in championing women’s rights.

Tel Aviv is the cultural capital of Israel, renowned for its partying, culinary and art scenes. The Time Out Israel team picks out the highlights of one of the most vibrant cities in the Middle East

With an influx of 2.5 million international visitors every year, Tel Aviv is one of the most visited cities in the Middle East. A lively 24-hour carousel of activity, the only uniform aspect of Israel’s second city – though many locals consider it the country’s first – is its continuous ability to surprise.

With inbound Jewish influences from the East Coast of the United States to Ashkenazi Eastern Europe and the Mizrachi Yemen – and in recent decades, overwhelmingly, Russia – Tel Aviv is a cacophonous mixtape of backgrounds.

In contrast to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv is avowedly a secular city. It is known for its 24-hour nightlife, and is seen as licentious by many Israelis who live outside of ‘the Bubble’, as proud hedonist Tel Avivim refer to their town. Perched on the Mediterranean coast, and blessed with a strip of perfect white-sand beach that runs almost the length of the city itself, there is plenty to offer by way of wild party nights and lazy sunny afternoons. You’ll find an array of modern restaurants, clubs, cafes and bars dominate the blocks by the beach and the centre of town.

Award winning actor and director Blair Underwood has been tweeting throughout his current visit to Israel

Upon arriving to Israel, Blair met with Miss Mehereta Baruch Deputy Mayor of Tel-Aviv at his hotel. Mehereta is an Ethiopian Jew and came to Israel with her family. She arrived in Israel at age 10 without her parents, who followed years later and now she is the Deputy Mayor of a major city like Tel Aviv.

During his second day, Blair toured a military base in Tel Aviv. Growing up in a military family, he always had tremendous respect for military personnel. Underwood especially admired the fact that every young person in the State of Israel must spend (3 years for boys and 2 years for girls), in The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Tasting more of Israeli snacks with packaging written in Hebrew it's all a mystery to me. :) A big thank you to viewer Mr. T who kindly sent me this package. New videos every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday!

In honour of World Water Day, we have put together a list of five hot Israeli tech companies that focus on water! Situated on the edge of the desert with limited access to fresh water, Israelis have leveraged cutting edge technologies to improve and ensure access to water while sharing these technologies around the world. In 2012, exports of water technologies totaled $2B, representing an increase of 170% over six years. In no particular order:

The company that invented drip irrigation innovation through smart drip and micro-irrigation solutions is now leading the way with greenhouse solutions to foster growth in arid and otherwise challenging climates. From potatoes in China to pomegranates in Israel, tea in Tanzania, and cotton in India, this firm is succeeding in growing a range of key crops in all corners of the world.

A world leader in water treatment, this company specializes in all aspects of water desalination, from development and engineering to the construction and operation of plants. Through the work of companies like IDE, the prospect of Israel becoming a country with a water surplus becomes a very real possibility!

This company is in the business of developing novel methods for storing, preserving, and moving water for use in various industries such as construction and mining and in emergencies and disaster relief.

TACount recently won the Massachusetts water industry competition, Water Export Technology (WET) Revolution. Global Water Intelligence ranked TACount in the top 20 most viable water technologies, and the Office of the Israel Chief Scientist selected it as one of Israel’s most promising start-up companies. Their proprietary technology allows for real-time microbial detection, massively improving delivery of data, with typical technologies taking days or even weeks!

Amiad has been on the water tech scene for more than 40 years, working to develop state-of-the-art filtration technologies. Their unique technology is environmentally sound, using no chemicals, polymers, minimal back flush water, and reduced energy. Some of their systems do not even require electricity.

Well, the quality doesn’t yet meet Bronx standards, but Israeli immigrants from Russia, Ukraine and Ethiopia are putting together their own weird style.

They have names like Elastic, G-Rock, Aladdin, Pac Man and Splinter. They sport hoodies, backwards baseball caps and Adidas footwear. They dance in circles, but they don’t do the hora; they’re Israeli b-boys and b-girls, and they have serious flavor.

Israel’s top break dancers took part in the “Prove Yourself B-Boy Jam” on Thursday, competing in head-to-head battles before a transfixed crowd of students and friends at the Israel Goldstein Youth Village in Jerusalem. The dancers, mostly young men in their late teens and early 20s, executed flips, windmills, head spins and freezes, earning cheers from the crowd and praise from the guest judge, a professional b-boy from Ukraine.

“I’ve been to many countries, and the skill level in Israel is high, but not the highest,” said the judge, Minik of the East Side B-Boys, adding that “the dancers are headed in the right direction.”

Break dancing emerged in New York in the 1970s and ‘80s, alongside DJing, MCing and graffiti art — the main elements of a new culture created by poor black and Latino youths that would later be called hip hop. Today, hip hop is a global force in music and fashion, and break dancing “crews” have sprung up throughout the Middle East in recent years, from Tunisia to Gaza.

In Israel, the dance form and its counterculture ethos have been embraced by immigrants from Russia, Ukraine and Ethiopia. A handful of crews with a dozen or more members meet regularly to practice and compete. The country also hosts Floor Masterz, an international break dancing competition now in its fifth year that draws participants from as far away as Japan and the United States.

The local break dancing scene has grown dramatically in the last decade, according to Dima Peisahov, the manager of Urban Project, a company that offers break dancing classes at four different studios around the country and organizes Floor Masterz.

“I’ve been on the scene since 2002, and there were a lot fewer people then,” said Peisahov, who is 27 and immigrated with his family from Russia when he was 11. “When we had the first Floor Masterz in 2010, there were 350 people. Last year, about 1,000 people came, half to participate and half to watch.”

He said the competition, which will be held this year on April 10 in Hadera, doesn’t have any sponsors; the costs are covered by ticket sales.

Several dancers said in interviews Thursday that break dancing helps them channel their frustrations with life in Israel into something creative and positive. In break dancing, unlike in life, there are no rules.

“I like how you can express yourself however you want,” said 22-year-old Artyom Golovam, who goes by the b-boy name Artik (popsicle in Hebrew) and is a member of a predominantly Russian crew called Unstoppabullz. “You can incorporate folk dancing, capoeira, kung fu, gymnastics. It’s completely free.”

Several dancers, including Golovam, said they support themselves by performing at bar and bat mitzvahs and weddings, as well as by teaching.

“My dream is to bring b-boying to all of Israel, to inspire the next generation,” said Itamar Greenberg, aka Pita, after finishing second in the freestyle portion of the competition Thursday. As sweat poured down his face, Greenberg, 19, told Haaretz he was skipping the army to devote himself to dancing full time.

In addition to teaching both children and adults in Hadera and Ramat Gan as a member of the Urban Project team, Greenberg has competed in Switzerland, Greece and France. “When the other dancers ask me where I’m from, I tell them and they’re like, ‘Yo, you’re from Israel? That’s cool. You have a weird style,’” he said. “There’s no politics involved.”

Shanit Eleazer of Tel Aviv was one of only three women who took part Thursday, advancing to the semifinals of the “top rock” part of the competition, which emphasizes moves performed in an upright position. Eleazer, 19, said she studied ballet for years and first became interested in break dancing after seeing a performance in Tel Aviv.

“I asked myself, why aren’t there any girls on stage?” recalled Eleazar, who is currently serving in the army. “I see it as a challenge to show that I can compete with the guys.” Now she travels to competitions overseas and is part of an all-female break dancing crew called the Funky Chicas.

For Roman Chorny of the Tel Aviv-based Breakerholics Your Troubles crew, break dancing is more than a dance form, it’s a lifestyle.

“During the day I’m a hair cutter at a salon on Dizengoff Street, and after eight I’m a b-boy,” said the 25-year-old known as Spyda. “Even when I’m exhausted, I have to dance.” So where does he practice? “The boardwalk, the port, the bus station, wherever there’s an open floor, I’m there.”

An apparent antidote to the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is coming from a once unlikely source. Chinese magnate Li Ka-Shing, among Asia’s richest businessmen, recently donated $130 million to Israel’s Technion University, as part of a joint venture with Shantou University that will establish the Technion Guangdong Institute of Technology (TGIT).

The gift, one of the largest ever to an Israeli university, is indicative of a pervasive deepening in the connection between Israel and one of the world’s emerging powers, China. This is the first time a school from any other country has been invited to establish an entirely new academic college based in China.

In addition to the $130 million gift to Technion, for strengthening Technion’s home campus in Haifa, Guangdong Province will invest approximately $150 million to develop the new Technion Guangdong campus.

“While academics around the world are attempting to damage Israel’s economy with calls for boycotts and divestment, it is the Chinese who see the inherent value in Israeli ingenuity, innovation and education,” Carice Witte, executive director of Sino-Israel Global Network and Academic Leadership (SIGNAL), an institute working to advance Israel-China relations, told JNS.org.

“Economic stability is one of China’s main goals. They view this collaboration as an investment in their own future,” Witte said.

Over the past several years, China has demonstrated a growing interest in Israel’s technological contributions, particularly in the areas of water conservation and purification, agriculture, air quality and alternative energy. Further, multiple Chinese universities have established Israel Studies Centers. The development of such study centers is a strategic asset for Israel, as top Chinese academics often serve as advisors to top government officials.

At the same time, American campuses are seeing significant anti-Israel activity, including the annual “Israel Apartheid Week.” Over the past decade, many leading universities have accepted multi-million dollar donations from philanthropists in Muslim-majority nations, most notably Saudi Arabia, to establish Middle Eastern studies programs that many Jewish groups criticize for an alleged anti-Israel bias. Last month, a map used in an Arabic language course at San Diego State University labeled all of the Jewish state’s territory as “Palestine,” before it was replaced with a map that included Israel.

Academics at American universities are among the leaders of those calling for divestment from Israel, in addition to expressing other anti-Israel sentiments. University of Pennsylvania professor Ian Lustick in September wrote a controversial New York Times op-ed calling for a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, under which Israel “may no longer exist as the Jewish and democratic vision of its Zionist founders.” Last summer, the University of California (UC) Board of Regents voted in Sadia Saifuddin, a leading BDS activist, as a student regent. Additionally, several student governments in the UC system have passed resolutions calling for their schools to divest from Israel.

According to Witte, China’s investment in Israel is neither political nor ideological, but rather a practical investment in China’s own economic and social interests.

“China wants to make the transition from being a manufacturing power to becoming innovators, and they believe that the Israeli innovative spirit can help them accomplish that goal,” Witte said.

Technion President Peretz Lavie wrote in a letter to alumni, “A number of leading universities from the U.S., U.K. and Australia have already launched academic programs in China, but the Technion is the first university whose China campus and operation will be fully funded by Chinese resources.”

“With this agreement the Technion has taken another major step forward in our quest to become one of the top leading science and technology universities in the world,” Lavie wrote. “Together with our partnership with Cornell in the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute in New York City, and other strategic international collaborations, the Technion has become a world renowned powerhouse in science, technology and innovation—and this is manifesting itself east and west.”

In September, Technion was cited by Bloomberg Rankings as the world’s seventh leading university—the only university in the top 10 outside the U.S.

Undergraduate and graduate students at the new facility in Guangdong Province will receive their degrees from Technion.

In addition to the new university campus, a nearby a technological park will be built to “serve as a bridgehead for Israeli companies interested in the Chinese market,” according to Lavie.

Ka-Shing, the Chinese investor, held a significant investment in the Israeli start-up Waze, a social-based GPS app that provides real-time changes in traffic conditions and anticipated travel times. Google recently purchased Waze for nearly $1 billion. Funds earned by Ka-Shing in the sale contributed to the Technion investment.

Speaking at a ceremony in Tel Aviv Sunday marking the joint venture, Ka-Shing stated, “In a world of fluid boundaries, the transformative power of technology waves like a magic wand, bringing new models and opportunities to many frontiers and generating new solutions to entrenched problems, but we all know the wands are only as powerful as the wizards who use them, and the magic comes from the genius within.”

“Our responsibility is to invest in education to unlock that genius and enable the continuing realization of human potential, building a society rich in knowledge and securing a sustainable quality of life for all. Failing to do so amounts to a crime against the future,” Ka-Shing said.

“When you combine the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of Israel with the unbelievable scale of China, you have a great partnership,” Lavie added. “We hope that by combining our research methodologies with the scale and resources of China, we will create a major research institute that will help not only China and Israel, but also mankind in general.”

Witte told JNS.org that the most significant aspect of the deal is that the Technion “offers a uniquely effective way of marrying Israeli innovation and creativity with Chinese commercialization and manufacturing capabilities to build a new engine for development.”

The Israeli government has recently invested significant energy in strengthening the Israel-China relationship, particularly as the U.S. economy remains muddled in recession, and American government debt threatens ongoing financial aid for Israel. This past month, Israel expressed a willingness to waive $55 million in financial commitments from the U.S. for the Arrow Missile Defense System.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Naftali Bennett; and Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz have all made recent trips to China to nurture the relationship. The deal with Ka-Shing and Guangdong Province may prove to be just the first of many large investments.

“This joint venture is important for economic development and regional stability for both Israel’s region and China’s region,” Witte said.

“That the tiny nation of Israel, with only 8 million people, has the ability to partner with the world’s most populous nation and the world’s second-largest economy, is a very powerful sign of Israel’s unique ability to contribute on the world stage,” she added.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Monaliza Abdo is Arab, Christian, Israeli and a defender of Jews and minorities alike. She wasn't required to enlist in the Israeli army, but her determination to protect Israel motivated her to volunteer. We had the chance to join Monaliza on the day of her release from the IDF.

New report indexing LGBT treatment in military ranks finds IDF in top-ten in terms of inclusion, admission and lack of persecution of sexual minorities

Tel Aviv is known world-wide as extremely gay-friendly, but a new report now claims the same about the IDF.

The Hague Center for Strategic Studies has recently launched the LGBT Military Index and in its first report has ranked the IDF in the 9th place world wide in terms of acceptance of sexual minorities, beating out the US and neighbors Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. Iran, for its part, ranked second to last.

The index attempts to map and grade LGBT participation in armed forces, judging 103 nations according to inclusion, admission, tolerance, exclusion, and persecution of sexual minorities. Each nation received a grade for each criterion, and they were then given an average overall score.

New Zealand ranked first on the index with an impressive 100, followed by the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Belgium and finally Israel in ninth with 92; Spain and France tied for the number ten position.

The United States failed not only to make it into the top ten, but fell in with only the top 40 nations – achieving 72.8 out of a possible 100.

Iran, for its part, received only a 6, and was second only to Nigeria which was in last place with a miserable 3 points. Syria fared better, reaching an unimpressive 7, or third from last.

Israel’s other neighbor to the north – Lebanon – did substantially better than its embattled Syrian neighbor, ranking among the bottom three deciles with a 38.5. Egypt did worst, averaging an overall 25.5.

Tourism, Finance and Economy ministries approve grant allocations designed to develop Jerusalem’s film industry, bring Israel in general and its capital in particular to millions of screens around the world.

Israel’s Tourism, Finance and Economy ministries, together with the Jerusalem Municipality, have approved a grant to encourage the shooting of mega-budget movie productions and an international TV series by the leading NBC network in Jerusalem.

The grant allocations are designed to develop the film industry in the capital and to bring Israel in general and Jerusalem in particular to millions of TV and movie screens around the world.

According to the Tourism Ministry, this will strengthen the local TV and movie industry in Israel and bring significant investment into the areas where the shooting will take place, creating new employment opportunities and attracting investment and other productions.

The Ministry estimates that the series will make a significant contribution to revenue from incoming tourism and will positively affect the numbers of visitors to Israel.

The initiative involves an unprecedented partnership between the Tourism, Finance and Economy ministries, the Jerusalem Municipality and the Film and Television Fund in the Jerusalem Development Authority, bringing the capital into line with other major international cities that work to promote the movie industry and their international image.

The first slice of the grant – up to NIS 14 million (about $4 million) – will be shared accordingly: The Finance Ministry – NIS 4 million; the Tourism Ministry, Economy Ministry, Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Ministry – NIS 3 million each; and the Jerusalem Municipality – NIS 1 million.

In the second round of the grant, worth up to NIS 8 million, the split is as follows: Finance Ministry – NIS 1.9 million; Tourism Ministry, Economy Ministry, Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Ministry – NIS 1.7 million each; and the Jerusalem Municipality – NIS 1 million.

The Knesset marked Animal Rights Day on Tuesday by holding various events and a special plenum session. The day began with a meeting of the Lobby for the Protection of Animals, headed by MK Eitan Cabel (Israel Labor Party) and MK Dov Lipman (Yesh Atid), with the participation of Knesset Speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein, representatives of the Interior Ministry and Agriculture Ministry, as well as animal right activists.

”In the early Jewish texts we see mentions of the need to care for animals and treat them with compassion,” Speaker Edelstein said. ”I welcome this important day and suggest, also from experience, that everyone find their way to adopt an animal and love animals. I also recommend that those who decide to buy this or that animal consider the option of adopting an abandoned animal from one of the organizations that deal with the issue.”

MK Cabel said that over the past few years Israel`s lawmakers, irrespective of their political affiliation or ethnicity, have promoted animal rights. He mentioned that the Knesset has passed laws regarding animal rights and praised the members of the animal rights groups for their work.

MK Lipman said the Knesset should continue to promote animal rights laws and ”become a world leader in this field.”

Following the speeches, citations were handed out to leading animal rights activists, and photos of animals were put on display at the Kedma Wing, courtesy of the Environmental Protection Ministry.

Later in the day, the Education, Culture, and Sports Committee, headed by MK Amram Mitzna (Hatenua) was scheduled to hold a meeting on ”education for compassion.”

As part of Animal Rights Day, vegetarian and vegan dishes were served in the Knesset members` cafeteria, and a special plenary session was set to be held on the topic.

Israeli model Bar Refaeli has been selected by Sports Illustrated magazine as one of its 25 most legendary supermodels.

The legends, who include Heidi Klum, Kate Upton, Tyra Banks, Petra Nemcova, Rebecca Romijn, Carolyn Murphy and Christie Turlington, in addition to Refaeli, are featured in a special shoot in the magazine’s 50th Anniversary issue.Source: Haaretz.com

Miss Israel, Yityish “Titi” Aynaw, stopped by a Philadelphia 76ers practice session this week to greet players, pose for photos and even show off her dribbling skills.

The 22-year-old, who told an NBA reporter she is a basketball fan and played for fun when she was in high school, watched the 76ers at work and later showed off her own talents on the court.

“I want to go to play with the guys. I think it’s very cool,” she said before dribbling with the team.

While posing for a picture with the players, she joked, “I feel so short!”

The beauty queen posted photos of her with the athletes on Instagram Thursday and captioned one shot, “playing basketball with the best team.” She also joked about feeling small standing next to the NBA stars, captioning another image, “Post an apology to all the people who are not my height, today I felt the same feeling that you are moving when I stand next to you : ) … sorry lol.”

Aynaw visited the team after touring the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, part of an ambassadorial trip that will include stops in New York, Washington D.C., Chicago and San Diego.

“It’s the first time I meet with professional basketball players so I’m excited to be with them,” she said of being with the 76ers. “They’re so nice.”

On February 19, 2014, Miss Israel, Yityish Aynaw (TiTi), accompanied by Alex Lipton, Director of Government Affairs and Press for the Consulate General of Israel, was introduced to the Philadelphia 76ers during their practice at the PCOM gymnasium. Also in attendance to welcome her to Philadelphia, was interim CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Alex Stroker, who warmly welcomed her to the community.

Last week Jewish WhatsApp cofounder Jan Koum sold his company to Facebook for $19 billion; next week he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to discuss hi-tech opportunities in Israel.

Netanyahu, traveling Sunday to Washington and a meeting with US President Barack Obama, is to go to Silicon Valley on Wednesday in an effort to promote hi-tech investments in Israel. In addition to Koum, Netanyahu is expected to meet with heads of Apple, Flextronics, Linkedin, Ebay and the Sequoia Venture Capital fund.

Netanyahu has made promoting Israeli hi-tech and turning the country into a cybersecurity hub a top priority.

“They speak a lot of Hebrew there [in Silicon Valley], I want to draw our friends back from there to Israel to invest,” Netanyahu said at the Israel Manufacturers Association’s annual event in Tel Aviv on Thursday. “It is very important for me that Israelis, and non-Israelis, will come here and see the talent we have here, the initiatives and the potential of the Israeli economy.”

In addition to meeting the Ukrainian-born Koum, Netanyahu – according to his office – will sign a “strategic cooperation” agreement with California Governor Jerry Brown to promote Israel- California economic ties.

This agreement would give Israeli companies access to iHUB, the California innovation program centered around 16 specific research clusters through state.

The iHubs, according to the California Governor’s Office, “leverage assets such as research parks, technology incubators, universities and federal laboratories to provide an innovation platform for start-up companies, economic development organizations, business groups and venture capitalists.”

ACT NOW for ISRAEL: Flush ‘LUSH’ Cosmetics!

LUSH Cosmetics has quietly closed its Beverly Hills, California location several months after a group known as “Join the Boycott LA” (www.JTBLA.com) organized a protest outside the store to expose the company’s support of PLO extremism. LUSH, with headquarters in the UK and stores in over 40 countries around the world, is using its customers’ money to support the PLO’s extremist “One World Campaign”. This virulently anti-Israel organization portrays Israel as an “illegal” occupier committing crimes against “Palestine” and grossly exaggerates the suffering in Gaza, placing responsibility solely on the Israelis.

There is much more work to be done. We urge you to ACT NOW FOR ISRAEL by sending an email to customercare@lush.co.uk to protest their anti-Israel extremism.

It has come to our attention that LUSH, a leading luxury handmade cosmetics company, gives a percentage of its profits to an anti-Israel organization called “OneWorld”. Upon visiting the OneWorld website (http://freedomoneworld.org/), it is very clear that they are supported by extreme anti-Israel groups that are sympathetic to terrorist activity against the State of Israel. For example, one of the supporting groups is called “Friends of al-Aqsa”. Visiting their website speaks for itself: http://www.foa.org.uk/.

Did You Know?

Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer.

Did You Know?

An Israeli-initiated project is drastically lowering the mortality rate of Ethiopian children infected with the AIDS/HIV virus.

LIVE Talk Radio from Israel – Tuesday Nights!

LIVE FROM ISRAEL! TUESDAY NIGHTS 5:00PM – 7:00PM (EST)

Straight from the heart of Jerusalem comes the only English talk show on broadcast radio in the State of Israel. News, interviews, culture and ideas mixed with positivity and pride in the free, fruitful, and flourishing Jewish homeland.

Yishai and Malkah Fleisher, two well-known internet radio personalities, made the leap to broadcast radio on the new Galey Yisrael station in Israel, blazing a trail to create content for the growing segment of the Israeli public that speaks English. You won’t want to miss it!

We will be broadcast LIVE FROM ISRAEL every Tuesday Night from 5:00pm – 7:00pm (EST)

Click below to listen live every Tuesday!

Contact Us:

Please contribute to Israel - Light Onto Nations

Email us: Light.onto.Nations@gmail.com

I never did anything alone. Whatever was accomplished in this country was accomplished collectively.- Golda Meir